Patentable/Patents/US-9411012
US-9411012

Handler and part inspection apparatus

PublishedAugust 9, 2016
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

A handler includes a base having an opening portion, a first hand which transports a transport target, a first transport section which transports the first hand to above the opening portion and moves the first hand down, a second hand which transports the transport target, a second transport section which transports the second hand to above the opening portion and moves the second hand down, and a control section which controls an operation of the first transport section and an operation of the second transport section. The handler has a state where the first hand and the second hand are disposed in parallel to the opening portion while being close to each other toward above the opening portion.

Patent Claims
6 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A handler comprising: a base having an opening portion; a first transport section which includes a first hand which holds a transport target and moves the first hand toward the opening portion; a second transport section which includes a second hand which holds the transport target and moves the second hand toward the opening portion; a first shuttle in which a first supply tray which supplies the transport target to be held by the first hand to the first hand and a first recovery tray which recovers, from the first hand, the transport target discharged from the first hand are independently installed; a second shuttle in which a second supply tray which supplies the transport target to be held by the second hand to the second hand and a second recovery tray which recovers, from the second hand, the transport target held by the second hand are independently installed; and a control section which controls an operation of the first transport section and an operation of the second transport section, wherein the handler has a state where the first hand and the second hand move in a horizontal direction from a position where the first hand and the second hand are spaced from each other to a position where the first hand and the second hand face the opening portion in different directions and then move toward the opening portion in a vertical direction so that the first hand and the second hand are adjacently disposed in the opening portion, wherein the first transport section moves the first hand between a first position where the first hand is disposed in the opening portion and a first delivery position where holding and discharge of the transport target by the first hand are performed, wherein the second transport section moves the second hand between a second position where the second hand is disposed in the opening portion and a second delivery position where holding and discharge of the transport target by the second hand are performed, wherein the handler has a state where the first hand disposed at the first position and the second hand disposed at the second position move to detach from the opening portion and then move toward the respective delivery positions in different directions, and wherein the control section controls an operation of the first shuttle and an operation of the second shuttle, and switches a tray disposed at the first delivery position alternately between the first supply tray and the first recovery tray and switches a tray disposed at the second delivery position alternately between the second supply tray and the second recovery tray.

2

2. The handler according to claim 1 , wherein the handler has a state where the first supply tray is disposed at the first delivery position and the second supply tray is disposed at the second delivery position.

3

3. The handler according to claim 1 , wherein the handler has a state where the first recovery tray is disposed at the first delivery position and the second recovery tray is disposed at the second delivery position.

4

4. The handler according to claim 1 , wherein the control section controls the operation of the first shuttle and the operation of the second shuttle so that a disposition of the first supply tray to the first delivery position and a disposition of the second supply tray to the second delivery position are performed at the same timing, and controls the operation of the first shuttle and the operation of the second shuttle so that the disposition of the first recovery tray to the first delivery position and the disposition of the second supply tray to the second delivery position are performed at the same timing.

5

5. The handler according to claim 4 , wherein the control section controls the operation of the first transport section and the operation of the second transport section so that the holding of the transport target by the first hand and the holding of the transport target by the second hand are performed at the same timing, and controls the operation of the first transport section and the operation of the second transport section so that the discharge of the transport target by the first hand and the holding of the transport target by the second hand are performed at the same timing.

6

6. A part inspection apparatus comprising a tester which inspects an electronic part, and a handler where the tester is mounted and which presses the electronic part against an inspection socket of the tester, wherein the handler includes: a base having an opening portion; a first transport section which includes a first hand which holds a transport target and moves the first hand toward the opening portion; a second transport section which includes a second hand which holds the transport target and moves the second hand toward the opening portion; a first shuttle in which a first supply tray which supplies the transport target to be held by the first hand to the first hand and a first recovery tray which recovers, from the first hand, the transport target discharged from the first hand are independently installed; a second shuttle in which a second supply tray which supplies the transport target to be held by the second hand to the second hand and a second recovery tray which recovers, from the second hand, the transport target held by the second hand are independently installed; and a control section which controls an operation of the first transport section and an operation of the second transport section, wherein the handler has a state where the first hand and the second hand move in a horizontal direction from a position where the first hand and the second hand are spaced from each other to a position where the first hand and the second hand face the opening portion in different directions and then move toward the opening portion in a vertical direction so that the first hand and the second hand are adjacently disposed in the opening portion, wherein the first transport section moves the first hand between a first position where the first hand is disposed in the opening portion and a first delivery position where holding and discharge of the transport target by the first hand are performed, wherein the second transport section moves the second hand between a second position where the second hand is disposed in the opening portion and a second delivery position where holding and discharge of the transport target by the second hand are performed, wherein the handler has a state where the first hand disposed at the first position and the second hand disposed at the second position move to detach from the opening portion and then move toward the respective delivery positions in different directions, and wherein the control section controls an operation of the first shuttle and an operation of the second shuttle, and switches a tray disposed at the first delivery position alternately between the first supply tray and the first recovery tray and switches a tray disposed at the second delivery position alternately between the second supply tray and the second recovery tray.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

September 5, 2012

Publication Date

August 9, 2016

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Cite as: Patentable. “Handler and part inspection apparatus” (US-9411012). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9411012

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